Wine Recommendation

Mission Hill Winery

2006 Five Vineyards Pinot Grigio
(Okanagan Valley)

The winemaking team at Mission Hill, under New Zealander John Simes, seems to have a definite fruit-forward Kiwi style with some of their white wines. That is entirely the right way to go in the Okanagan, where the cool evenings contribute so much to bright flavours and crisp acidity. The Five Vineyards brand name is inspired by the fact that Mission Hill controls at least that many vineyards, spread across several of the Okanagan’s sub-regions from Westbank to Osoyoos.

This wine is called Pinot Grigio to signal that it is made in the refreshing unoaked style of northern Italy. The winery also produces a sophisticated oak-aged Pinot Gris; hence the need for labels that differentiate the styles.

This wine begins with aromas of orange blossoms and tropical fruits. On the palate, it is fresh and fruity, with flavours of citrus and pears. The wine manages to be full on the palate at the same time as having a light elegance. 88 points.

The Wine

The Reviewer

John Schreiner

John Schreiner has been covering the wines of British Columbia for the past 30 years and has written 10 books on the wines of Canada and BC. He has judged at major competitions and is currently a panel member for the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards of Excellence in Wine. Both as a judge and as a wine critic, he approaches each wine not to find fault, but to find excellence. That he now finds the latter more often than the former testifies to the dramatic improvement shown by BC winemaking in the past decade.

The Wine

The Reviewer

John Schreiner

John Schreiner has been covering the wines of British Columbia for the past 30 years and has written 10 books on the wines of Canada and BC. He has judged at major competitions and is currently a panel member for the Lieutenant Governor’s Awards of Excellence in Wine. Both as a judge and as a wine critic, he approaches each wine not to find fault, but to find excellence. That he now finds the latter more often than the former testifies to the dramatic improvement shown by BC winemaking in the past decade.